Transfer means for fibrous material



y 1945- L. M. BALLAMY ETAL 2,377,123

TRANSFER MEANS FOR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed May 11, 1942 nnnnnunnununnnnnPatented May 29, 1945 TRANSFER MEANS FOR FIBROUS Leslie Mark Ballamy,Caterham-on-Hills, and

Richard Hasell Sheepshanks, Eyke, Woodbridge, England Application May11, 1942, Serial No. 442,513

In Great Britain July 11, 1941 8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for dealing with loosely laid layersof fibrous material, such as kapok.

When loosely laid layers of fibrous material,

such as kapok, are being handled in a machine, for instance in themanufacture of quilting, difficulty is sometimes experienced intransferring the weakly adherent layer of fibres from one conveyor toanother, and it is the object of the present invention to provide animproved method and means for effecting such transference in a simpleand efiicient manner.

According to the present invention, a method is provided fortransferring a layer of loosely laid fibres from one surface to anotherconsisting in separating the layer from the said one surface by theintroduction of compressed air or other gas.

Further according to the invention, a method of transferring a layer ofloosely laid fibres from the surface of a travelling band or the" likecomposed of pervious material, to another surface, consists inintroducing compressed air or other gas to the opposite surface of theband or the like, whereby said gas passes through said band or the likeand separates the layer of fibres therefrom.

Preferably the band or the like passes over a hollow member which is fedwith compressed air or other gas and which has an opening or openingsthrough which the gas issues, so as to impinge against the under surfaceof that part of the band or the like supporting the layer of fibres. Theband or the like can be arranged to slide over a fixed hollow memberhaving an upwardly directed aperture or series of apertures such asslots through which the compressed gas issues. Alternatively the band orthe like may pass around a rotatable hollow cylindrical drum formed withperforations through which the compressed gas issues, the compressed gasconveniently flowing into the cylindrical drum through a fixedlongitudinal duct and being directed through the perforations in thedrum by means of one or more radial nozzles.

There is further provided for carrying out the above method a devicecomprising an endless band of material which is pervious to compresesdair, means for continuously moving said band, a hollow member over whichsaid band moves, means for feeding compressed air to the interior ofsaid member, and an upwardly directed aperture or series ofaperturesthrough which the compressed air issues so as to penetrate theband and lift the layer of fibres from the-upper surface of said band.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showin one arrangement fortransferring a loosely laid layer of fibres to a machine such as a.sewing machine;

Figure 2 is an elevation of one form of compressed air tube havinglongitudinal nozzles or apertures;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing nozzles or aperturesof difierent shape; and

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of another arrangement in which theband or the like passes around a rotatable roller.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 a loosely laid layer of fibrousmaterial, such as kapok, indicated at I0, is delivered along an endlessconveyor belt or band I l and passes on to the upper run l2 of anendless conveyor band l3, the transfer at It being readily efiected, asboth of the bands II and I3 are being driven at the requisite speed bysuitable means (not shown). At the end of the upper run l2, however, itis desired to transfer the fibrous layer In on to the stationaryplatform iii of a sewing machine, one of the needlebars of which isindicated at l6.

In order that this transfer may be effected successfully without tearingor disarranging the layer I0 or permitting the fibres thereof to becarried along the return run ll of the band l3, the latter is composedof flexible openwork material, such as wire gauze, textile fabric, orthe like, which is pervious to com-pressed air, and is arranged to slidearound the surface of a transversely disposed compressed air tubeindicated at It. The band I3 is, of course, driven from the opposite endby passing around a driven roller IS. The compressed air tube I8 isformed with a series of longitudinal slots 20 which are directedobliquely upwards and forwards, the arrangement of these slots beingshown more clearly in Figure 2. The compressed air which is fed throughan inlet pipe 2| thus escapes upwardly through the slots 20 and passesrelatively freely through the interstices of the band B. The escapingair lifts the fibrous layer In bodily away from the band l3 as thelatter pases around the tube l8 and consequently the flow of air gentlyguides the layer I 0 on to the upper surface of the platform IS, thelayer arching slightly, as indicated at 22.

The slots or'other escape apertures in the compressed air tube it may,of course, be arranged in various ways and they may consist merelyofcircular perforations. Another form is, however, shown in Figure 3,and in this case the tube 08 has a number of arcuate nozzles 20a whichhave their longitudinal axes directed circumferentially. This produces amore diffused draught of air, which is found to be beneficial when thelayer it is rather thin or exceptionally loose.

If desired, instead of having a fixed air tube 88 over which the band 53slides, said band may engage with a freely rotatable roller by adoptingthe arrangement shown in Figure 4. This roller is indicated at 23 and isconveniently adapted to rotate freely upon a fixed tube 24, which latterserves also to conduct the compressed air to a number of obliquelydirected radial nozzles, one of which is shown at 25. The roller 28 isformed around the whole of its curved surface with perforations 26,through which the compressed air from the nozzles 25 is free to passwhen the perforations come into register with said nozzles 25. It willbe seen that, despite the rotation of the roller 23 as the band 63travels along, an upward draught of air is forced through theinterstices of the band it and consequently lifts the layer iii offibrous material in a manner similar to the preceding example. Ifdesired the roller 23 can be utilised for driving the band it.

It will be realised that the invention can be employed wherever a layerof fibrous material, usually in a loosely laid form, is to betransferred from. one surface to another, and although it is ofparticular utility where one of the surfaces is stationary, it may alsobe found to be desirable when both the surfaces are driven. The meansused for introducing the compressed air may, of course, take variousforms.

What we cl is:

1. An apparatus for transferring a layer of loosely laid fibres from onesurface to another, including a travelling pervious band to support saidfibres, a hollow rotating member forming a support for the band, andmeans for delivering air or like gas under pressure to the interior ofthe member, said member being formed with peripheral outlets directingsuch air or gas through the band and beneath the fiber layer duringrotationof said member, said air delivering means including a pipe andnozzles carried by and in communication with said pipe for deliveringthe air through the peripheral outlets of the member.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral outletsare elongated.

3. In a transferring means for use in transferring material from anendless pervious traveling band to a separate surface immediately beyondthe band, said transfer means including a hollow rotating member forminga support for and rotating during band movement, said member beingformed with a, series of peripheral openings successively presented inoperative position relative to the material on the band, a fixed tube onwhich the member is rotatably mounted and open to a source of compressedair or gas, and a nozzle open to the tube within the member and servingto deliver the compressed air or gas passing enemies through the tubethrough the openings in the member as successively presented inoperative position.

4. In a machine of the class described, an endless band composed ofpervious material, a perforated hollow guide roller movably mounted'andextending transverse said band, a separate surface adjacent the rollerbut external to the band. means for moving said band longitudinally sothat its upper outer surface runs toward said separate surface carryinga layer of loosely laid fibres and then around the guide roller, meansfor feeding compressed air to the interior of the guide roller,'means tocompel and confine such air to an upward flow through the perforationsin the roller as successively presented in an operative position, andpassing through the endless band, acts upon the under surface of thelayer of fibres to lift the latter free of the endless band so that saidlayer may pass on to the said separate surface.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein a pipe extendslongitudinally within the guide roller for distributing compressed airalong the length of the roller.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is provided within theguide roller a longitudinally extending pipe fed at its end withcompressed air, a plurality of nozzle apertures distributed along thelength of the pipe being directed upwardly to cause the compressed airissuing therefrom to pass through the perforations at the upmr part ofthe guide roller, and after passing through the endless band, impingeagainst the underneath of the layer of fibres.

7. In a transferring means for use in transferring material from anendless pervious flexible travelling band to a separate surfaceimmedately beyond the band, said transfer means including a lateral tubeforming a support upon and around which the band slides to reverse itsdirection of movement in readiness for commencing its return run, meansfor delivering air or like gas under pressure to the interior of thetube. and directing means formed in the wall of the tube for causing thegas to flow upwards through the band as said band passes around thetube, the gas separating the fibre layer from the band and lifting saidlayer on to the said separate surface.

8. In a transferring means for use in transferring material from anendless pervious flexible travelling band to a separate surfaceimmediately beyond the band, said transfer means including a lateraltube forming a support upon and around which the band slides to reverseits direction of movement in readiness for commencing its return run,means for delivering air or like gas under pressure to the interior ofthe tube, upwardly directed delivery openings formed in the wall of thetube for causing the gas to flow upwards through the band as said bandpasses around the tube, the gas separating the fibre layer from the bandand lifting said layer on to the said separate surface.

LESLIE MARK BALLAMY. RICHARD HASELL SHEEPSHANKS.

